COULD PAVING BE BANNED?
08:00 - 15 October 2007
Radical plans to ban residents from paving over their gardens
are to be considered by councillors as a way to reduce the risk of flooding in
Hull.
The option is one of a series of new ideas aimed at soaking up more rainfall
naturally during heavy storms to limit the amount of water entering the city's
drainage system.
If given the go-ahead, the policy could also rule out ground-floor extensions
and conservatories being allowed in neighbourhoods identified as being in a
high-risk flood area.
Hull's
drains were overwhelmed during the June 25 downpour, leading to the flooding of
just over 8,000 homes.
Among the issues highlighted by theIndependent Review Body (IRB) set up after
the floods was the amount of rainwater directly entering the drainage network in
areas where gardens and previous greenfield land had been built on.
In its recommendations, the IRB called for new measures to "intercept"
rainwater.
Now, new planning policies covering flood risk issues are being prepared for
proposed development in areas of Hull. If given thego-ahead, the measures could
include:
Banning residents from paving over gardens with hard-standing surfaces.
Restricting ground-floor extensions and new conservatories if they encroach on
gardens.
Requiring developers to provide more open spaces, water butts and natural
drainage ponds in new housing estates.
Ensuring all new house designs include flood-resilient features. Hull's planning
committee chairman, Councillor John Fareham, said: "I have always defended the
right of an individual to do what they like with their own property, as long as
it does not impinge on someone else.
"However, following the events of June, I think it's necessary to look at the
bigger picture.
"There's no doubt that paving over gardens just diverts rainfall elsewhere and
that usually means water going into the drains at a much faster rate than they
can cope with.
"I am sure people will wonder how we are going to enforce such a policy, but
that's something we are going to have to address."
Cllr Fareham said similar existing policies banning specific types of
development in conservation areas in Hull had proved successful.
"As a planning authority, we can remove permitted development rights for certain
types of development and in this case I would support any recommendation to go
down that route over the loss of gardens," he said.
Last week, councillors rejected plans to build a dozen houses on parts of rear
gardens in north Hull because of fears over flooding.
It was the first time flood risk has been cited as a reason to refuse a planning
application in Hull since the June 25 floods.
But John Horner, 64, owner of one of the rear gardens in Cottingham Road, said:
"The flooding in Hull had nothing to do with building on gardens.
"It was all because of the amount of rain Turn to Page 5
and the pumps not working properly."
At a meeting on Wednesday, planning councillors will be asked to back the
policies with the option of creating a new local by-law if necessary.
In a report, the council's head of regional development, Mark Jones, said any
new restrictions should initially only apply to areas at highest risk of
flooding.
As part of a new Strategic Flood Risk Assessment for Hull, experts have mapped
the whole city to identify the most vulnerable areas.
Those classed as being at the highest risk include the city centre and
neighbourhoods immediately adjacent to the River Hull.
Meanwhile, the panel of experts set up to look into the causes of the summer
floods in Hull will meet in public tomorrow.
The IRB has already published an interim report into the events of June 25.
Now the six-man team will be hear evidence from the chairs of Hull's area
partnerships to find out what happened in different parts of the city on the
day.
The meeting takes place at the Guildhall in the city centre, starting at 7pm.